Street indicator



Nov;- 17, 1925.

g- 2 63a L Jfi J. S. PAXTON STREET INDICATOR I Filed July 1924 Jane; PaXfI fl 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 have/afar Nov. 17,1925. 1,562,185

J. S. PAXTON STREET INDICATOR Filed July 6, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Wc'zn eases: v lave/afar Patented Nov. 17, 1925.

UNITED STATES JAMES S. PAXTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STREET INDICATOR.

Application filed July 26, 1924. Serial No. 728,361.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES S.PAXT1- I, a citizen of the United States, and, a resident of Chicago, county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Street Indicators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in street indicators for use on street cars or the like, and has for its object the provision of an improved construction of this character which is of simple construction and efiicient in operation.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which, I

Fig. 1, is a partial face view, with parts removed, of a construction embodying the invention, I

Fig. 2, a vertical longitudinal section of the same,

Fig. 3, a rear view of the upper portion of said construction, and

Fig. 4, a detail view of the lower portion of the construction. 1

The preferred form ofconstruction, as illustrated in the drawings, f comprises a suitable sheet metal casing or box 5 adapted and arranged to be mountedin the forward portion of a street car or the like and facing to the rear so as to be readily viewed by the passengers of the car. The casing 5 is provided with a door. giving access thereto, said door. consisting of an upper part 6 and a lower part7 hinged together at 8 and hinged to the top of the casing at 9. The lower part 7 is providechwith a finger 10 operating loosely through a suitable slot in the bottom of easing 5, thus permitting of the bending of said door, as indicated in Fig. 2. A suitable sight opening 11 is provided in the door portion 6,,to permit of a view of the street indicator plates 12 which are mounted in the casing behind The indicator plates 12 are said opening.

perforated to slide on two wire guide loops 13, said guide loops being mounted-in parallel relation on a supporting plate 14 and extending first outwardly and downwardly from said plate, and then inwardly and downwardly to said plate, as Shown. The

supporting plate 14 is provided withva central horizontal slot 15 adapted to fit over a pivoted button 16 mounted on the rear wall of easing 5, and suitable hooks 17 are arranged to engage thelower edge of plate 14 to position said plate on said rear" wall. By this arrangementit will be observed that plate 14 and loops 13, with the indicator plates 12 thereon, are rendered readily reversible. The plates12 are-printed on their opposite sides with the names of thestreets which the carline intersects, and said plates are arranged on the wire loops in the order in which said streets occur. The platesj 12 are arranged to move around the loops, 13, as indicated in Fig. 2, so that when the end of the car, line is reached all that is necessary to rearrange the plates for the return trip is simply to reverse the supporting plate 12 on its mounting, whereupon the plates will be suitably arranged for the return trip.

A spring wire bail 18 is arranged behind the plates 12 and provided with rollers 19 contacting with the rear thereof, said rollers being thus adapted and arranged to force the plates outwardly and insure their travel around the loops 13. Aflexiblecable, in the form of a cord 20 ishpassed around the bail 18 over guide pulley 21 and secured to' a stop pin 22, and-whereby the same may be rendered inop'erative when desired. This arrangement facilitates the arrangement of the indicator" plates, as above indicated.

The indicator plates 12 are provided in their upper edges with V-shaped notches 23. and an oscillatory stop finger 24 is mounted on an oscillatory shaft 25 imposition to 'cooperate with said notches. The notches in alternate plates are staggered with relation to the notches in adjacent plates, and where.- by, when the stop finger 24 registers with the notch in one plate, it is out of registrationwith the notch in the plate immediately behind, thus releasing the outermost plate but stopping the plates behind, as'will be readily. understood. At its rear end, behind the casing 5, the shaft 25, which isjhollow, carries an oscillatory plate 26 co-operating with a T-head 27 having a vertical slot 28 therein sliding freely on said shaft. The T-head 27 is rigidly secured at its lower end to a bracket 29 secured to the upper end of an operating rod 30 reciprocating verti cally in a guide tube 30 mounted in the body of the 'car and extending downwardly through the bottom thereof. Links 31 are pivotally mounted at 31 on the upper end of the T-head 27, depending from said pivots and connected at their lower ends by a yoke 32 pivoted at 33 thereto, and whereby a flexible frame is provided. Each of the links 81 is provided with a notch 34 in its outer edge, and acam surface 35 leading to said not'clr- Posts or pins 36 are mounted, as

shown, on the'oscillatory plate '26, and are connected by a guide'bar or strap'37, as indicated, said guide bar tending to hold the parts in operative positions. The arrangement is such that one or the othe'rof the notches 34 engages the corresponding post 36 upon each reciprocation' of rod 80 to oscillate the shaft 25.

Referring to Fig. 3, it will be observed that the next upward movement of rod 30 will oscillate the plate 26 and shaft in a counter-clock hand-wise direction. Upon the next downward movement the righthand cam surface'35 riding upon the 'corresponding-post 36 will force :the bpposite link to the' left in position to engage the op posite post 86 uponthe next upward movement to oscillate the plate 26 and the shaft 25 back; to original position so that upon each alternate vertical reciprocation of the rod the shaft 25 will be oscillated to release one of the indicator plates 12. I

A rod 38 is arranged to slide through the hollow shaft25 and is provided'atits'rear end' with a flattened portion 88 extending through a slot in the door portion 6 and notched at 39 to engagesaid' door portion. its forwar'dend the'rod 38 carries a cam bar 40 co-operating with a roller 41 on the track 29 so thatvateach reciprocation of the opera-tin-grod 30 the door 6 will-be bent out Wardly, as indicated in: Fig.2, to permit of the free movement of theindicator plate caused by the corresponding movement of the operating bar- 30.

ceding each street intersection, so that as the car approaches each street intersection the apparatus will be operated to expose the corresponding street indicating plate 12, as will be readily understood. At itsl-ower end, the arm 45 engages leaf springs 48 slidably connected together by meansof cuffs. 49 and secured on suitable supporting bars 5Q on the bottom of the car, said leaf springs normally holding the operating roller 46 in de pressed position to engage the cam tracks 47, as will be readily understood.

By this arrangement, it will be noted that as the car proceeds along its tracks the indicator plates 12 will be operated to expose the name of the street the car is approaching. When the end of the line is reached, all that is necessary to provide for the return trip is the reversal of the supporting plate 14. i l Vfhile I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction forcarrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirito'f theinventiOn. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of the construction setforth, but desire to avail myself ofsuch variations and modifications as comewi't hi n the scope of the appended claims. l

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and ties e to secure by Letters Patent is i 5 1. street indicator comprising a re versible support; guides on said support consisting of two parallel 'wireguid e loops extending first outwardly and downwardly from said support and; then inwardly and downwardly to said support; perforated indicator plates slidable on said loops, opposite sides of said plates being marked with'the names' of streets and said plates being arranged in the order in which said' streets occur; and means controlling the movements of said plates on said loops, substantially as described. I I 1 2. A street indicator comprising a reversible support; guides on said'support consisting of two'parallel wire guide loops extending first outwardly and downwardly from said support and then inwardly and downwardly to said support; perforated indicator plates slidable on said loops, opposite sides of said plates being marked with the names of streets and said plates being. arranged in the order in which said streets occur and means automatically operated the motion of the car for controlling the movements of said plates, substantially as described.

3. A. street indicator comprising abasing adapted and arranged. to be mounted in a street car; a reversible support mounted in said casing and provided with guides consisting of two parallel wire loops extending first outwardly and downwardly from said support and then inwardly and downwardly to said support; perforated indicator plates mounted to slide upon said wire loops, the opposite faces of said plates being marked with the names of streets and said plates being provided with notches in their upper edges alternately staggered with relation to each, other; an oscillatory shaft mounted above said support; an oscillatory finger on said shaft arranged in front of the upper edges of said plates and adapted to oscillate alternately into registration with notches in alternate plates; a spring resting behind the plates and tending to force the same around said loops; and means automatically operable by the motion of the car for oscillating said shaft, substantially as described.

4:. A street indicator comprising a vertically reciprocating spring-held operating rod; a cam track arranged in the street and adapted to operate said rod; an oscillatory shaft; an operative connection between the upper end of said operating rod and said shaft; a plurality of indicator plates mounted in operative position one behind the other to expose the indicator face of theoutermost,said plates being provided with notches in their edges alternately staggered with relation to each other; means for moving said plates from operative intoin-operative positions; and an oscillatory stop finger onsaid oscillatory shaft co-operating with the notches in said plates, substantially as described.

5. A street indicator comprising a casing adapted and arranged to be mounted in a street car; a support mounted in said casing and provided with guidesconsisting of two parallel wire loops extending first outwardly and downwardly from said support and then inwardly and downwardly to said support; perforated indicator plates mounted to slide upon said wire loops; means controlling the movements of said plates on said loops; a door for said casing arranged adjacent said loops, said door being formed in two parts hingedly connected together at the center of the door; and means for bending said door outwardly when one of said plates ismoved on said loop, substantially as described.

' 6. A street indicator comprising a casing adapted to be mounted in a street car; a support mounted in said casing and provided with guides consisting of two parallel wire loops extending first outwardly and clownwardly from said support and then inwardly and downwardly to said support; perfopermit passage of said plate, substantially as described.

7 A street indicator comprising a plurality of indicator plates mounted to be moved from one position to another; a horizontally extending oscillatory shaft arranged to control movements of said plates; a rocker plate secured to one end of said shaft; a vertically reciprocating member arranged adjacent said rocker plate; depending links pivotally mounted on said reciprocating member said links being provided in their outer edges with notches and co-operating cam surfaces; and pins on said oscillatory plate co-operating with said notches .and cam surfaces to cause oscillation of said plate upon reciprocating said member, substantially as described.

8. A street indicator comprising a plurality of indicator plates mounted to be moved from one position to another; a horizontally extending oscillatory shaft arranged to control movements of said plates; a rocker plate secured to one end of said shaft; a vertically reciprocating member arranged adjacent said rocker plate; depending links pivotally mounted on said reciprocating mem-- her said links being provided in their outer edges with notches and co-operating cam surfaces; pins on said oscillatory plate cooperating with said notches and cam surfaces to cause oscillation of said plate upon 7 reciprocating said member; a lever operatively connected with the lower end of said reciprocating member and carrying a cam roller; and a cam member arranged to be engaged by said roller to operate said reciprocating member, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JAMES S. PAXTON. 

